At university, you take classes, meet new people and pave the pathway to a career you enjoy. However, a good GPA and a few reference letters are not the only valuable things gained in university. University has an even more important quality—it allows you the opportunity to discover yourself.
We have all come to UNB to achieve a higher level of understanding, but in what? Think about what you are majoring in, and if you have not yet chosen one, think about your faculty. How does this resonate with you? What is your goal in taking these courses in let’s say, history?
The purpose of taking courses that interest you is to find what speaks to you and what makes your life full.
To utilize these pathways you have to have a goal, build a community with other like-minded individuals and allow yourself to learn from your mistakes.
Never be afraid to be brave and play your way through university. We are all here to explore and to take classes that expand our knowledge of the world or that introduce us to something entirely new.
Utilizing university as a gateway to a career you enjoy is an important goal, but it is not the only one to work towards. University is a time of opportunity.
Maybe you want to have a more vibrant social life so you look for ways to meet similar individuals. Or maybe you want to do better on your next midterm, so you take a serious look at your habits and stop the ones that waste time. Even if your goal is to wake up on time for that 8:30a.m. class, you can reflect on what needs to be changed for that to happen.
Taking the opportunity to hone your talents and pursue your interests during your time in university is crucial. Both universities and future employers want to see you are interested in your field of study and in things beyond that. Going beyond the classroom to prove so is in your best interest because it shows your desire to pursue whatever your passion may be.
Regardless of our individual goals that diversify us, we are all working towards a common goal—finding ourselves.
Finding yourself is achieved in the study methods that work best for you, the environment on campus where you are most productive, the time you go to bed to feel most vibrant in the morning, classes that excite you the most, connections that brighten your life and habits that leave you feeling good at the end of the day.
As Dr. Paul Mazerolle, the President of the University of New Brunswick said, “Universities are amazing places for transforming the future for students [and] for building and translating new knowledge”.
So, enjoy the process of discovering who you are and are yet to be. Explore your curiosities. Identify your interests. Find what gives your life meaning. Some of the best experiences come from testing the waters. Be brave today.
